


tell your friends stories about us.

by Prettything_uglylie



Series: fictober 2019 [16]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Internalized Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 04:50:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21422476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prettything_uglylie/pseuds/Prettything_uglylie
Summary: Stan and Richie discuss Richie's feelings for Eddie.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Richie Tozier & Stanley Uris
Series: fictober 2019 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1506824
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55





	tell your friends stories about us.

**Author's Note:**

> Fictoberrrrrrrrr

Richie's knee is shaking but it is for a good thing this time; the bus itself shakes but Stan is firm, is stiff in his seat and Richie feels a ridiculous amount of affection swell in his chest for his best friend. 

Stan's eyes are glued to the front seat of the bus and Richie wonders if Stan is really that nervous about the bus driver but to get those almost haunted eyes back on him, Richie drapes a long leg over Stan's lap before rasping in one of his Voices - vaguely Russian, perhaps. 

"'re you exciteeed 'vor de sleep-over, Stanley?" 

"Never when it comes to you, Rich." Stan snarks back. 

His laughter echoes up to the front. 

* * *

"I do not know how you're alive with that driving," Stan chuckles as they step off the bus and with his small ganter off, Richie pretends to be offended, 

"Hey, John's trying his best!" 

They both laugh and the world feels a little warmer: the sun glowing through the trees, the glow of spring lighting the world around them in shades of yellows, oranges, and reds. The smell of leaves falling rolls in on the breeze and his chest feels light with the warmth from the spring afternoon and being here like this with Stan. 

Stan's laughter stops short all of a sudden and suddenly, Richie can only hear the leaves crunching beneath his feet and feel the slight chill of the breeze -- he wraps his sweater tighter around himself as a rouge-pink color spreads over his cheeks. He moves to ask why Stanley is upset or at least, quiet. 

While Richie wraps his arms around himself tightly as his periwinkle blue backpack off of one shoulder, Stanley has taken to momentarily shifting his messenger bag on his hip and picking at a thread from his knitted sweater. 

"Can I ask you something, Trashmouth?" Stan says suddenly and Richie immediately answers, nervous now, 

"Yes." 

"Why haven't you had a girlfriend?" 

And there it is: the question that Richie had been imagining would come for years - you can only make so many 'your mom' jokes until people start pointing out that you've never even had a girlfriend - but he doesn't need reason for the way his stomach sinks, the way his heart ticks a little faster and his palms have begun to sweat. They are in grade 10; the question is valid as all of the other Losers have had at least one relationship - except him and except... not his Eds either... 

"I don't know," he shrugs, stomach in tight knots until he feels he can breathe before he murmurs, trying for a joke, "Only Eddie's mom for me..." 

"Don't," Stan says and usually, Richie would push, would play and talk but the conversation looks difficult on Stan's face. 

Richie swallows, heart pounding against his ribs like Bowers has done externally and his head screams in utter fear. Stan can't _know_, can he? 

"Do you like Eddie?" 

He can. 

He can and he does and he asks. Richie feels closed in cold water, his air coming out in a whistling wheeze that would make Eddie proud and he can't fucking think. It feels like the time Belch Huggins slammed his fist into his face and he had a concussion, head spinning and nose dripping with scarlet blood drops and one lens had shattered. 

His head hurts more than that time... because, because Stan may leave, may hate him. 

He lies, tries for a joke, "'Course I do, he's my friend." 

Stan steadies his breathing, slim chest settling back into his body like a coffin settles into the loose dirt of a grave and he shakes his head before looking at Richie. He looks and for once, Richie can't unsee the adult-like coldness lingering in his gaze. Stan is so goddamn calculated it scares him. Stan starts, voice firm, "Are you in love with Eddie?" 

And it's so sturdy like Stan has rationalized feelings like this to himself over and over. Maybe that's why Richie tells him but maybe his bottom lip still wobbles, 

"I do." It's too choked out. It doesn't feel like his voice but it doesn't feel like one of his Voices either. He feels like his voice has been stolen and he has only the whisperings left. 

"Okay." Stan says and it's anti-climactic; it makes Richie want to shout and hit him, pounding his fists against Stan's chest and scream, _you made me admit that just to say 'okay'? 'Okay'?!' _

But he doesn't. He just murmurs back, 

"Okay." 

It is quiet for a moment until Stan grins. His grin is cracked and it makes Richie feel a little warmer. 

"Be proud." 

_Easier said than done, Stan the Man. _

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked this! Kudos and comments are appreciated!


End file.
